title: Prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 in blood donors of the Caruaru Blood Center (Hemope).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is difficulty in gathering data on the prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus in blood donors as confirmatory testing is not mandatory in Brazil. This suggests there may be an underreporting of the prevalence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 in donors of a blood bank in Caruaru, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational, epidemiological, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study with information about the serology of donors of the Caruaru Blood Center, Fundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia de Pernambuco (Hemope) from May 2006 to December 2010. The data were analyzed using the Excel 2010 computer program (Microsoft Office(®)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 61,881 donors, 60 (0.096%) individuals were identified as potential carriers of human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2. Of these, 28 (0.045%) were positive and 32 (0.051%) had inconclusive results in the serological screening. Forty-five (0.072%) were retested; 17 were positive (0.027%) and 3 inconclusive (0.005%). After confirmatory tests, 8 were positive (0.013%). Six (75%) of the confirmed cases were women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epidemiological surveys like this are very important in order to create campaigns to attract donors and reduce the costs of laboratory tests.
authors.affiliation: Associação Caruaruense de Ensino Superior - ASCES, Caruaru, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Waleska Mayara Gomes
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Fabrício Andrade Martins
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.forename: Maria do Carmo Morais Rodrigues
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Edna Suely Feitosa
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Pires
keywords: Blood banks; Blood donors/statistics & numerical data; Epidemiology; Health promotion; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; Human T-lymphotropic virus 2